Israel says strikes over 430 targets in Gaza, hits sites in Syria, Lebanon

Jerusalem: The Israeli military said that its Air Force struck “over 430” locations in Gaza since the resumption of its deadly air and ground campaign in the enclave.

In a statement, the military on Wednesday claimed all of them were “terror targets.”

The renewed attacks on Gaza since March 18 ended a two-month ceasefire and, according to Gaza’s health authorities, killed about 830 people. No Israeli fatalities have been reported, Xinhua news agency reported.

The overall death toll in Gaza since Israel began its onslaught on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people, has surpassed 50,000.

Israel continued attacks also in Syria and Lebanon.

In Syria, Israel struck 18 locations over the past week, including air raids on Tuesday and last Thursday, in which warplanes targeted “the remaining strategic military capabilities at the Tadmur and T-4 bases,” the military said, referring to the T-4 base operated by the Syrian Air Force in Homs province.

The attacks were the latest in a series of Israeli strikes aimed at destroying Syria’s strategic weapons following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government.

Israel also seized control over the United Nations-monitored buffer zone between the two countries and several Syrian army bases at the top of Mount Hermon.

In Lebanon, Israel struck “more than 40 Hezbollah terrorist targets” on Saturday, calling the attack a “response” to rocket fire from Lebanon toward the Galilee. Israel carried out dozens of additional strikes in Lebanon, despite a fragile ceasefire that came into effect in November.

Meanwhile, 14 missiles were intercepted by the Israeli aerial defence systems since Israel effectively ended the Gaza truce last Tuesday. The military said it included six surface-to-surface missiles fired from Yemen, three rockets from Lebanon, and five from the Gaza Strip.

–IANS